As a rule, I don't get involved in politics. I view it the same way Don Corleonesaw the drug business in The Godfather("It doesn't make any difference to mewhat a man does for a living, you understand....But that's a dirty business.") Yet even if I refuse to offer blind allegianceto any party or officeholder, I believe weare all obliged to speak out on issues of principle, especially those dealing withhuman rights, democracy, and civil liberties. With that purpose, I share this summarylist of what we've learned about thesurveillance activities of the NSA in recentmonths.

Ted Gioiatedgioia@hotmail.com

235 Things We've Learned About the NSA (Updated: June 4, 2016)

Hundreds of pages of newly-released documents reveal that the NSA misledpublic about Snowden’s efforts to raise concerns about surveillancewithin the organization.Vice, June 4, 2016

Former Attorney General Eric Holder now admits that Edward Snowdenperformed a public service'.CNN, May 30, 2016

Does the NSA have the right to impose a $117 trillion fine—more than thevalue of all the assets on planet Earth—on companies that won’t spy? TheUS Dept of Justice thinks so.Washington Post, September 15, 2014

AT&T’s surveillance transparency report neglects to mention that ithands over information on 80 million customers to the NSA.Wired, February 21, 2014

Within hours of The Guardian publishing Snowden’s first revelations,‘diggers’ showed up outside both its NY and Washington office, aswell as outside the home of its US editor.The Guardian, February 20, 2014

NSA partnered with other countries in spying on US lawyers, possiblyas a way of bypassing US laws protecting attorney-client communications.New York Times, February 16, 2014

Finally someone is forced to resign from the NSA because of theSnowden scandal—but only a person who might have accidentallyhelped Snowden. Washington Post, February 13, 2014

NSA division called ANT has burrowed its way into nearly all thesecurity architecture made by the major players in the industry —probably without the knowledge of these companies.Der Spiegel, December 29, 2013

New documents reveal massive scope of NSA spying in 60 countries,targeting regulators, aid organizations and many others with noconnection to terrorist or illegal activities.Washington Post, December 20, 2013

Administration source claims the President never approved NSA tappingphones of foreign leaders because “the NSA has so many eavesdropping programs, it would not have listed all of them for the president.”CNN, October 28, 2013

Newly unsealed document reveal that email provider used by EdwardSnowden ordered to hand over encryption codes for Snowden’s messages(and those of all 400,000 other users) or pay $5,000 per day fine.Wired, October 2, 2013

NSA ‘Marina’ project tracks users browser activity and contact info for thelast year, and can be used to create lifestyle profiles of millions of people —including US citizens who aren't suspects.The Guardian, September 30, 2013

CEO imprisoned after he wouldn't spy for NSA wasn't allowed to mentionthis during his trial, or to present evidence that his prosecution may havebeen in retaliation for his refusal.Washington Post, September 30, 2013